Multiple Charts on a page - how do you lock?

[Guest]

Working amoung users of 2003 & 2007 Powerpoint, some using XP & some Vista.
I have 4 seperate charts on a slide and have made sure the chart sizes for
all are the same (checked it by "format object, size") as well as the positon
of the pie within the box, chart title and legends. I've grouped all charts
together on the slide, checked "locked aspect ratio" and "Relative to
original picture size" within "format object". I then double click a chart ,
select "sheet 1" to update the data and then close editing and the chart has
change the size and position. How do you lock the position and size of the
charts so you don't have to re-format the charts' parameters each time you
open?

 

[Echo S]

It's not easy.

I'd suggest not grouping the 4 charts together. I'd also turn the autoscale
off for the chart fonts. And I'd set the charts at 100% x 100% to start.
Make one, set it to 100%x100%,* then copy and make the other charts. Since
you're using pies, they shouldn't change. Bar/column charts sometimes do
because the labels on the axes take up more or less room....

*You can also reset an existing chart on the Format Object dialog, then open
it and drag its edges to resize appropriately. Then when you close, it
should be at 100% by 100%. Copy that, change the data for the other charts.
--
Echo S [MS PPT MVP] http://www.echosvoice.com
What's new in PowerPoint 2007? http://www.echosvoice.com/2007.htm
Fixing PowerPoint Annoyances
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/powerpointannoy/index.html
PPTLive! Oct 28-31, New Orleans http://www.pptlive.com

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Working amoung users of 2003 & 2007 Powerpoint, some using XP & some Vista.
I have 4 seperate charts on a slide and have made sure the chart sizes for
all are the same (checked it by "format object, size") as well as the positon
of the pie within the box, chart title and legends. I've grouped all charts
together on the slide, checked "locked aspect ratio" and "Relative to
original picture size" within "format object". I then double click a chart ,
select "sheet 1" to update the data and then close editing and the chart has
change the size and position. How do you lock the position and size of the
charts so you don't have to re-format the charts' parameters each time you
open?

One problem I can see right off:

PowerPoint 2007 no longer uses MSGraph for charts as the earlier versions did,
It now uses Excel to handle its charts.

I notice that if you start with even the default MSGraph chart in PPT 2003 then
open the file in 2007, when you doubleclick the chart to edit it, PPT 2007 asks
whether you want to convert, cancel or edit existing.

If you have MSGraph installed (it's an optional install item, NOT installed by
default as I recall), then Edit Existing will preserve the original chart.

If you click Convert and do nothing else, the chart will change size.

There are a few options, depending on how much control you have over the other
computers. If you can FORCE them to install MSGraph and use it to edit your
charts, things might work more smoothly.

If you can get everyone to use one or the other version of PPT but not toss
files back and forth between versions, that's an even better solution.

There's a reg setting you can apply to get PPT2007 to use MSGraph instead of
Excel.

If you have no control over the other computers or can't standardize on one
version or the other, then I'm afraid you may be stuck.